The catacombs' darkness clung like a second skin, thick with the smell of damp stone and decay. Torchlight flickered from Sophia's hand, casting long, dancing shadows on the walls—carvings of ancient warriors, twisted creatures, and symbols Karen couldn't recognize.
"Stay close," he murmured, his hand resting on the hilt of his Novice Sword. "These tunnels are trapped."
Hawk scoffed, nocking an arrow. "Relax. It's just a 新手 dungeon—"
A sharp click cut him off.
Karen lunged forward, shoving Hawk to the ground as a volley of iron spikes erupted from the wall, inches from where the archer had stood. The spikes clanged harmlessly against the opposite stone, then retracted with a groan.
"Just a 新手 dungeon?" Karen raised an eyebrow.
Hawk scrambled to his feet, his cheeks flushed. "Thanks."
"Save it for the monsters." Karen pressed on, his boots echoing in the silence. He'd played enough underground games to trust his instincts—every shadow, every creak, every shift in the air could mean danger.
They rounded a corner, and the tunnel opened into a chamber. Torches blazed in iron sconces, illuminating a horde of twisted creatures: humanoid figures with gray skin, clawed hands, and empty eye sockets—Corrupted Skeletons, according to the game's HUD.
"Thirty of them," Frost whispered, her hands glowing with icy magic. "And a boss in the back."
Karen's gaze locked on the largest skeleton, clad in tattered armor, wielding a rusted battleaxe—Skeleton Lord, level 5.
"Blaze, hit the horde with fire. Frost, freeze the boss's legs. Tank, draw their aggro. Hawk, pick off the skeletons on the left. Jason, flank right. I'll take the boss."
Sophia nodded. "Execute."
Blaze unleashed a wave of fire, incinerating three skeletons instantly. Frost's ice spell surged forward, encasing the Skeleton Lord's legs in a block of ice. Tank charged, slamming his shield into the horde, drawing their attention. Hawk's arrows flew true, dropping skeletons one by one. Jason darted around the edge, stabbing at exposed ribs.
Karen sprinted toward the Skeleton Lord, his sword glowing with a faint red light—Full Strike, his first skill. He leaped, bringing the blade down on the boss's shoulder.
-45
The Skeleton Lord roared, breaking free of the ice, and swung its axe. Karen rolled to the side, the blade grazing his shoulder—-12 damage. He didn't hesitate, driving his sword into the boss's chest, where its heart would have been.
-52
The fight was chaotic, fast, brutal. Skeletons swarmed from every angle, their claws scratching at armor, their swords clanging against shields. But Karen moved like a storm, darting between attacks, striking with precision, never staying in one place long enough to be hit.
He noticed the Skeleton Lord's axe glowed before it swung—tell-tale sign of a special attack. "Get back!" he shouted.
The team scattered as the boss brought its axe down, slamming into the stone floor. A shockwave erupted, cracking the ground, but no one was hit.
Karen seized the opening. He ran up the cracked stone, leaping onto the boss's back, and drove his sword into its skull.
-108
The Skeleton Lord collapsed, dissolving into dust. A chest appeared in its place, glowing faintly.
"Loot up," Sophia said, breathing hard. "We need the gene fragments."
Karen pried open the chest. Inside were coins, a few potions, and a small, glowing orb—Corrupted Gene Fragment.
"One down," he said, tucking the orb into his inventory. "There should be two more."
They pressed deeper into the catacombs, clearing two more chambers, each with stronger monsters—Corrupted Zombies, Shadow Wraiths—and collecting the remaining gene fragments. By the time they reached the final chamber, the team was bloodied, tired, but focused.
The final boss waited there: Dark Priestess, level 7, a robed figure with black skin and glowing purple eyes, wielding a staff.
"She controls the shadows," Frost warned. "Her attacks drain health."
Karen nodded. "Blaze, hit her with fire—light dispels shadow. Frost, keep us healed. Tank, shield wall. Hawk, aim for her staff. Jason, distract her. Sophia, with me."
The Priestess shrieked, summoning shadowy tentacles from the ground. Tank raised his shield, blocking the tentacles, but they wrapped around his legs, dragging him down.
"Frost!" Karen shouted.
The mage's ice spell shattered the tentacles. Tank scrambled free, but the Priestess raised her staff, firing a beam of purple energy at Sophia.
Karen tackled her to the ground, the beam searing a hole in the stone where she'd stood.
"Thanks," Sophia gasped.
"Payback for the dungeon invite." Karen grinned, then charged.
He dodged a shadowy blast, swinging his sword at the Priestess's staff. The blade connected, cracking the wood—-38. Hawk's arrow struck the same spot, shattering the staff.
The Priestess screamed, her power fading. Karen drove his sword into her chest.
-156
She collapsed, dissolving into smoke. A larger chest appeared, overflowing with loot—coins, potions, a rare sword, and a glowing blue orb—Pure Gene Fragment, the final piece they needed.
"We did it," Jason said, grinning.
Karen picked up the Pure Gene Fragment, and a notification popped up: Guild Quest Completed! Unlock Advanced Skills—Available at Guild Hall.
He glanced at his HUD. His level had jumped to 4, his strength stat boosted by the fragments.
"Let's head back," Sophia said, her voice softening. "The guild hall has a healer, and we need to unlock the skills."
They exited the catacombs, the sun blinding after the darkness. As they walked back to the village, Karen felt a vibration in his neural bracelet—an incoming message from Dr. Cole.
Ella's vitals are stable. She's awake, asking for you.
A wave of relief washed over him.
"You okay?" Sophia asked, noticing his smile.
"Just good news," he said.
They reached the village square, and Karen paused. "I need to log out for a bit. Check on someone."
Sophia nodded. "Take an hour. Meet us at the guild hall in Novice Village—we'll unlock the skills then."
Karen closed his eyes, activating the log-out function. The world blurred, and he opened his eyes to the tin hut's familiar walls.
He rushed to Dr. Cole's clinic, his heart racing. Ella was sitting up, eating a bowl of soup, her face pink and healthy.
"Karen!" she said, grinning.
He pulled her into a hug, careful not to hurt her. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Dr. Cole says I can walk around tomorrow."
Karen's eyes stung. This was why he fought—for her smile, for her health, for a future they'd been denied.
He stayed for an hour, talking to Ella, answering her questions about Divine Descent, promising to show her the game once she was stronger.
When he logged back in, the Wings of Liberty team was waiting at the guild hall—a small wooden building with a blue eagle flag flying above.
"Ready to unlock the skills?" Sophia asked.
Karen nodded.
They entered the hall, and a guild NPC greeted them, taking the gene fragments. A glowing panel appeared, listing advanced skills—Rage Fire, Arc Slash, Soul Sacrifice.
Karen selected Rage Fire and Arc Slash, feeling a surge of power as the skills unlocked.
"Now we're ready," he said.
Sophia smiled. "Ready to take over the server."
Karen looked at his team—Hawk, Tank, Blaze, Frost, Jason, Sophia—each of them fighting for their own reasons, their own freedom.
The neural bracelet hummed, a reminder of the journey ahead. Enemies would come—Rossettis, Consortium thugs, powerful guilds. But he wasn't alone anymore.
He drew his sword, the blade glinting in the guild hall's light.
"Let's launch."
And this time, there was no turning back.